Technology • Innovation • Publishing — Issue #198
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Innovation
Apple Sees Virtual-Reality Headset as Its Next Big Thing — www.nytimes.com
Apple is enlisting Hollywood directors to help the company launch its next business-altering device: a virtual-reality headset. #VR
TikTok’s parent company is gearing up to invest a lot of money in VR
ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, reportedly plans on investing a large amount of money in VR. It’s working to expand the Pico team, the Chinese VR company ByteDance acquired last year.
From baristas to inspectors: Singapore’s robot workforce plugs labor gaps — www.reuters.com
Singapore’s National Library Board has introduced two shelf-reading robots at one of its public libraries that can scan labels on 100,000 books, or about 30 percent of its collection, per day. #robots
Web3/Crypto: Why Bother? by Albert Wegner
Web3 can, if properly developed and with the right kind of regulation, provide a meaningful shift in power back to individuals and communities. #Web3
Web5: The Decentralized Web Platform
Web5: A new evolution of the Web that enables decentralized apps and protocols. (And where did Web4 go?) #Web5
Artificial intelligence is breaking patent law
The patent system assumes that inventors are human. Inventions devised by machines require their own intellectual property law and an international treaty. #AI
Matriarchy Now NFT — www.partybid.app
Protest art collective Pussy Riot and Unicorn DAO staged a protest at the Texas State Capitol in support of reproductive rights and minted the moment as an NFT to be auctioned off.
Technology
Six Keys to Change
Truth! “Over a decade ago magazine and newspaper publishers saw the emerging threat from digital technology and wrote grand strategy documents but few made it to the other side. Not because they were not smart but because they continued to incentivize the selling of pages and the old ways of doing the business. Power, promotions and pounds/dollars were paid to those who controlled today’s client relationships and today’s budgets.” By @rishad.
The Era of Borderless Data Is Ending
www.nytimes.com
Nations are accelerating efforts to control data produced within their perimeters, disrupting the flow of what has become a kind of digital currency.
Apple expands personal safety features with ‘Safety Check’ — www.engadget.com
Apple’s new Safety Check feature will aid those in abusive relationships by letting you review and revoke access to certain people, including location, accounts, passwords, and more.
Apple adds Undo Send and new dictation tools to Messages in iOS 16 — www.engadget.com
You’ll soon be able to use an iPhone as a Mac webcam — www.theverge.com
You can soon use a feature called Continuity Camera to use your iPhone as a webcam — bringing Center Stage, Studio light, and more to any Mac.
iOS 16: How to Isolate, Copy, and Share Subjects From Photos — www.macrumors.com
With iOS 16, Apple added a feature where you can hold down your finger on a subject in a photo — like a dog , copy and paste it into another app, like Messages. #WWDC22
Apple M2 chip: The sequel to the M1, explained — www.digitaltrends.com
New York state passes first electronics right-to-repair bill — arstechnica.com
Twitter is testing shopping reminders for upcoming product drops
Twitter is testing notifications for upcoming product releases. Shoppers will get in-app notifications 15 minutes before items go live and at the time of release.
TikTok Emerges as Leading Media Disrupter
Rich Greenfield: “TikTok is a monster, with a billion highly addicted users. It has a much, much wider audience than people realize.” #TikTok
New TikTok update brings screen time dashboard and additional time limit settings
www.phonearena.com
TikTok’s new update is all about mental well-being.
Publishing & Media
‘The Carbon Almanac’ Written By Over 300 Volunteer Debut Authors, Orchestrated by Seth Godin
lunch.publishersmarketplace.com
Last fall, bestselling author and change agent Seth Godin mobilized 300 people from 41 countries to create a book, but also a podcast network, a LinkedIn course, a comprehensive resource collection, an educator guide, and a free children’s edition — for free. On July 12, Portfolio will publish The Carbon Almanac, seven months after acquisition. #teamPRH
Must-watch, must-read: The Maid effect — www.booknetcanada.ca
Insights into how the adaptation of Maid has impacted sales and/or library circulation. #BookToScreen #ReadTheBook1st
Author Launches ‘600 Books of Hope’ Donation Initiative for Uvalde Students
The goal is for every student in Uvalde to get a book. While authors, illustrators, and publishers have come through with donations, anyone can donate books to the initiative. Those interested can fill out a form to receive more information about the initiative.
Join the #ReadLoveSupportBinc Challenge!
The #ReadLoveSupportBinc Challenge is a great way to honor booksellers and comic retailers and raise money to continue to provide assistance as they face the financial and emotional impact of the pandemic, inflation, lack of affordable housing, high cost of healthcare, and the strain on their mental health.
The rise in book bans, explained — www.washingtonpost.com
Why are books being challenged at an “alarming” rate? Experts weigh in.
IPA and PEN America on Closure of Publishing Houses in Myanmar
Radio Free Asia’s Burmese unit reports that Lwin Oo Sarpay, a high-visibility publishing house in Myanmar, has been closed by the junta “for importing and distributing a book on the 2017 Rohingya genocide.” “Two other publishing houses have been closed down in recent weeks — Shwe Lat and Yan Aung Sarpay and the Win To Aung printing press — that were also publishing books on sensitive themes, including LGBTQ+ content.” Via @Porter_Anderson
Supply Chain Monitor
Since 2017, @BISG fielded an annual survey of the supply chain. With so much of the industry in flux, they launched a Supply Chain Monitor to collect info every 2 months. Survey is open now, with results collected until 6/17. Results’ll be published a week later.
How will the publishing industry change over the next ten years?
www.wearewhitefox.com
Writers, agents, publishers and industry experts predict how the publishing industry will change over the next ten years.
Why Are Book Sales Slipping in Big Cities?
www.publishersweekly.com
Book sales in America’s big cities are underperforming compared to those in smaller markets.
In Times of Tribulation, Prophecy Books Multiply
This is scary: Several Christian publishers are focusing on books about biblical prophecy, the rapture, Armageddon, and other End Times events of the Bible as readers seek answers about current crises.
The Ever-Shifting Challenge of Promoting Literature in Translation
Tertulia: (Another) Book-Discovery App
RT @mariskreizman Oh no not another Netflix for books. Make it stop.
The Palace Project Launches nonprofit library-centered platform and ereader app for digital content and services
MT @Palacelib Today we are officially announcing the launch of The Palace Project. Supported by the Knight Foundation, our nonprofit library-centered platform provides all-in-one econtent management and lending. #libraries @dpla
Audiobook Publishers Association Reports Tenth Straight Year of Double-Digit Growth
HT @paulkbiba Revenue Up 25% in 2021 to $1.6 Billion, 74,000 Audiobooks Published
New Latino media startup launches with historic $80M raise — www.axios.com
Latina activists Jess Morales Rocketto and Stephanie Valencia are raising $80 million to launch a new Hispanic media company. It’s one of the largest capital raises for a Latina-owned and operated startup in the U.S.
Spotify Sees Audiobooks As A “Massive Opportunity”
lunch.publishersmarketplace.com
How to Make Money on Spotify? A ‘White Noise’ Podcast Could Bring You Big Bucks
Making a popular podcast full of nothing but soothing static and calming sounds can earn $18K a month on Spotify.
Education group Pearson sells Courseware businesses in Italy, Germany for $203 million
Time expects events business to cross $10M revenue mark for first time in 2022, due to sponsorships and partnerships
digiday.com
Time’s events business is expected to bring in at least $10 million in revenue for the first time this year, and projected to grow around 20 to 30% in 2023.
‘Forecasts on quicksand’: Ad spending slows as advertisers wade through economic uncertainty
The received wisdom is that advertisers spend their way through a downturn. But that’s easier said than done. #AdvertisingBusiness
Facebook Rethinks News Deals, and Publishers Stand to Lose Millions in Payments
www.wsj.com
Social-media company pays more than $10 million a year to a handful of news organizations to feature their content on its news tab
NYT Begins to Clarify Reporting that Relates to Book Research, Continues to “Prioritize Newsworthy Information” For Readers
lunch.publishersmarketplace.com
Resources & Opportunities
So you want to start a podcast…There are 2 MILLION out there (per BuzzSprout), so how can yours stand out?!! Learn success secrets from the masters @Nikki_StrongArm, Host of Pop Cultured at The Skimm, @laurenpassell, Founder of Tink Media, and moderated by audio journalist and podcast showrunner @goldaarthur at @WMG_NYC’s virtual event on 6/15 at noon ET. FREE for members, $15 for non-members. Sign up QUICK!
Roxane Gay Books & The Audacity Submission Manager
MT @Galleyway_ Roxane Gay Books is accepting submissions from unagented writers beginning June 15. They will consider novels, short fiction, memoirs, essay collections, and nonfiction. There are no fees for submitting a manuscript.
National Book Critics Circle Barrios Book in Translation Prize Submissions Now Live
MT @tarawandam Publishing & lit in translation folks, the committee for @bookcritics’ new Barrios Book in Translation has been formed & is accepting (digital) submissions. We look forward to reading what you submit!
Queen Will Release a Newly Discovered Song Featuring Freddie Mercury’s Vocals — people.com
Coming in September.
